The Dragon is back on the winning track after beating Randy Couture last weekend at UFC 129, which has once again ignited the talks of that one superfight that some have been buzzing about with UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Jon “Bones” Jones.That’s one t…
The Dragon is back on the winning track after beating Randy Couture last weekend at UFC 129, which has once again ignited the talks of that one superfight that some have been buzzing about with UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Jon “Bones” Jones.
That’s one thing you have to love about Mixed Martial Arts, boys and girls: regardless of a fighter and their record, one impressive win will always keep the hopes alive for a superfight.
Even more lovable is that there’s more than one superfight that many in the MMA world would like to see happen, and the fact that we are not fans of a sport that has few options for superfights outside of the tilting Anderson Silva-Georges St-Pierre superfight further justifies why this ever-growing phenom of a sport is one of the most damn fun to watch.
So on the real side of things, how would Machida fare if he really did face Jones?
At EliteXC: Destiny, K.J. Noons was set to face-off against Charles Bennett.
Not many gave Bennett a chance, and the trash talking before hand brought out the anger in Noons. Both fighters were taking it to each other, a pretty normal first round.
But …
At EliteXC: Destiny, K.J. Noons was set to face-off against Charles Bennett.
Not many gave Bennett a chance, and the trash talking before hand brought out the anger in Noons. Both fighters were taking it to each other, a pretty normal first round.
But towards the end of the round, Bennett hit Noons and gave his head a little ringing. Noons quickly disengages and circles away. Bennett wanted the fight bad enough though and landed a sweet right handed punch to the dome of Noons as he was going down to his knee and knocked Noons out cold.
Bennett, after his win, goes around doing back flips off of every conceivable corner in the cage. Bennett then went out and circled the cage in front of the roaring crowd.
After that fight it was a good start for Bennett. Bennett won his next two fights, but then the trouble happened. After that two-fight win streak Bennett went 3-8, leaving him with a grand total of 5-8 after the Noons knockout.
Bennett’s last fight was on April 16 of this year, a loss to Jason Gybels by rear-naked choke.
Noons had a slightly different career afterwards. This knockout was Noons’ first loss in his MMA career and he sunk to 3-1. After that fight though, Noons went on to win the EliteXC lightweight title over none other then Nick Diaz. This was the only loss for Diaz after he left the UFC for the second time.
Noons went 6-1 after the knockout and has not fought since losing by unanimous decision to Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight championship.
According to MMAConvert.com, UFC welterweight Jon Fitch had successful surgery after he suffered a shoulder injury during his bout against BJ Penn, at UFC 127. Fitch posted via Twitter earlier today following his surgery and he seems to be in grea…
According to MMAConvert.com, UFC welterweight Jon Fitch had successful surgery after he suffered a shoulder injury during his bout against BJ Penn, at UFC 127.
Fitch posted via Twitter earlier today following his surgery and he seems to be in great spirits.
“Awake and feeling like a million bucks,” Fitch said.
While the American Kickboxing Academy fighter has not confirmed a return to the Octagon, he is expected to be out of action for six months.
However the injury has not affected Fitch completely. MMAConvert.com also reports he attended a UFC 129 after party last weekend in Toronto, where he and AKA teammate Cain Velasquez ran into BJ Penn.
“I saw him in Toronto and we were at the bar. I walked over to say hello…and the next thing I know somebody was shooting a single-leg [takedown] on me. I look down and it’s B.J., laughing his a– off,” Fitch said. “We’re on good terms, but I still want to kick the crap out of him.”
One can only assume what Fitch’s intentions are once he is medically cleared to return to the Octagon.
The Chicagoland area hosts Strikeforce on Showtime July 30 as Fedor Emelianenko attempts to put the first back-to-back losses of his career behind him with a win over Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson in a heavyweight main event attr…
The Chicagoland area hosts Strikeforce on Showtime July 30 as Fedor Emelianenko attempts to put the first back-to-back losses of his career behind him with a win over Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson in a heavyweight main event attraction. No gold will be up for grabs, but few, if any, mixed martial arts bouts have ever occurred with such legacy on the line. Here are five reasons this summer showdown stands to be fight of the year.
1) All-Time Greats
Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson are Sports Illustrated No. 1 and No. 4 pound-for-pound fighters of the last decade respectively.
Henderson is currently wearing a belt. Emelianenko, who achieved his status in the sport by going virtually undefeated for the decade, has dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in his career. The defeats have diminished the invincible aura surrounding the stoic Russian yet the 34-year-old has room to bounce back—a courtesy typically extended to fighters that Emelianenko hasn’t received because his controversial career reached such mythic proportions running its course entirely outside the Octagon. “The Last Emperor” is still capable of doing what kept him strictly the win column for a decade and Henderson is a perfect opponent to demonstrate that—win or lose.
Only a handful of fighters can rival the names, accolades and abilities possessed by Emelianenko and Henderson. Outside of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva meeting Emelianenko, this is the greatest pound-for-pound contest available in MMA today.
2) Open-Weight Nostalgia
Fedor Emelianenko reigned over PRIDE as the heavyweight champion until its end, while Dan Henderson held the 183-pound title before closing out his PRIDE career by dethroning 205-pound titleholder Wanderlei Silva in the Japanese organization’s penultimate event. Open-weight grand prix tournaments were a staple of PRIDE, and had the organization continued business as usual, it’s not out of the question the Russian and American champions would have stood across from one another in the ring.
The sport’s changing landscape has placed limitations on the ways to subvert weight classes. A fighter like Henderson though will always find a way to implement his anytime, anywhere mindset. In accepting a bout with the most decorated heavyweight in MMA history, the Team Quest founder can as a natural middleweight, pull off a colossal feat. The fact that “Dangerous” Dan Henderson has been successful at heavyweight before or that his power is enough to stop a massive Rafael Cavalcante cold won’t be considered for Emelianenko if he drops his third consecutive contest.
Open-weight means high stakes.
3) Strikeforce’s Best Fight of All-Time
Strikeforce has featured excellent fights of over the years, but none as significant or compelling as Fedor Emelianenko versus Dan Henderson.
Emelianenko’s defeats to Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva were anti-climatic considering the depth of his accomplishments. That was largely due to undersold opponents, something Dan Henderson can never be. Both combatants came to Strikeforce as high-profile free agent signings, only to be met with an immediate issue of worthy competition. Against each other, they have a stern test and a paramount fight in their revered careers.
4) Excellent Style Match Up
Dan Henderson’s Olympic-level wrestling can be stifling, but it’s usually employed to set up the “H-Bomb” right hand. The in-and-out, looping punches of a heavyweight opponent six-years younger may cause trouble for the former Arizona State Sun Devil’s straight-forward, one-punch style, but Henderson’s ring generalship and resilience will push him to be the first man to knock out Emelianenko.
A sambo master, Emelianenko has a strong base that applies his explosive hip movement into all facets of MMA: striking, clinching and grappling. Seeking out stand-up coaching in Holland, he appears refocused on training and winning after back-to-back losses diminished the negotiating powers his team loves to exercise. Being an undersized heavyweight—what plagued his last performance—won’t be an issue as Henderson moves up for the challenge.
5) Free Agency
This is the last fight on Dan Henderson’s current contract. With potential big money fights against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and a rematch with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in the back of his mind, the 40-year-old knows when to step it up (see his knockout of Michael Bisping for his last contract fight). Defeating Emelianenko would raise Henderson’s stock to the heights it reached as a two-division belt holder in 2007 after blasting Wanderlei Silva, if not surpass it.
Emelianenko needs to be impressive and competitive for his longevity, for his negotiating leverage and for his legacy. Like he said after submitting to Werdum, it’s how a champion stands back up after falling. This is his (second) chance.
There are no Strikeforce-like alternative organizations for Henderson or Emelianeko in MMA anymore, so undeniable performances are integral if they want to arrive in the UFC in style and/or ride out of Strikeforce on a high note.
Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend
For those who are unfamiliar with the sport of mixed martial arts or the UFC, fans will no longer feel left out, as UFC.com has recently launched an in-depth, interactive page where anyone can browse and become educated in MMA. It is called “UFC D…
For those who are unfamiliar with the sport of mixed martial arts or the UFC, fans will no longer feel left out, as UFC.com has recently launched an in-depth, interactive page where anyone can browse and become educated in MMA. It is called “UFC Discover.”
The page is categorized into four sections: Discover the Fighter, Discover the Sport, Discover The UFC and Discover the Fan. Each section features artifacts, information and content all in detail regarding your favourite events, fighters and signature moves.
Obviously, this a great opportunity for fans to learn more about the sport and participate in such an interactive way. More so, it is an even greater opportunity for the UFC to allow itself to become more involved and open to the mainstream media.
While browsing through countless pages and sections, the interactive page allows fans to become more aware and knowledgeable about the UFC and it’s regulations, thus creating a more healthier perspective on the sport entirely.
Now fans will have the chance to browse onto UFC.com in a new, interactive way and allow them to truly discover the UFC as a sport, a brand and a culture.
Many people not from the United Kingdom may have a disdain for Michael Bisping. In fact, most fighters do too.You can’t go and write any piece about Bisping and not get negative feedback. It ranges from the nice, negative commentary, to the vulgar. The…
Many people not from the United Kingdom may have a disdain for Michael Bisping. In fact, most fighters do too.
You can’t go and write any piece about Bisping and not get negative feedback. It ranges from the nice, negative commentary, to the vulgar. Then there are some of those Bisping fans who come out of the woodwork and get attacked by everyone in favor of cutting Bisping.
Well, one fighter says that Bisping versus Anderson Silva would be competitive.
“Bisping has gotten really effective at that transition and that happens to be Anderson Silva’s Achilles Heel, the takedown, so it could be a competitive fight,” said Rashad Evans to Fighters Only. “And another thing that Bisping does is, sometimes he just doesn’t care, you know? He just doesn’t care, he just goes for it. So for people to say it wouldn’t be a fight or it wouldn’t be close? I wouldn’t say that about someone like Michael Bisping.”
Evans would know best, holding a split decision victory over Bisping.
“And I am not like some huge Bisping fan, I just think he can scrap and he is very competitive. Put him in with anyone and he will give it a competitive fight,” said Evans. “But then Anderson is something else… put it this way, put Bisping in with Anderson and it would be interesting.”
So does Bisping deserve the title shot at pound-for-pound kingpin, Silva?
Let’s all face facts, Bisping is climbing up the middleweight ladder. But to give Bisping a title shot would be a pretty bad decision.
Bisping’s record speaks for itself; 21-3 with 13 wins by knockout. Sure, Bisping might be able to take down Silva, but might is the keyword there.
Silva’s got incredible striking and could pick apart Bisping. Silva is unmatched in the middleweight division. The only person who could beat him is Chael Sonnen. And last time I checked, Bisping is no Sonnen.
Bisping needs to fight a top five middleweight before making any claims to fight for the title. Maybe, just maybe, Bisping can beat Sonnen but, for right now, the thought of Bisping fighting Silva is a little out of grasp.
